Burglary victims often wonder why the burglar picked on their house. To find out you need to consider:

"How does a burglar's mind work?"

Burglary, on the whole, is an opoportunist crime. A burglar will select their target because it offers them the easiest opportunity to carry out their crime undetected and with the fewest number of obstacles in their way. A building that presents itself as unoccupied and insecere is far more likely to be targeted than one, which is properly secured.

Each of these makes access to the building far simpler and is an indication to the prospective burglar that it's worth a second look.

The question is, are the occupants in?

- Milk bottles or parcels on the doorstep- Newspapers and mail in the letter box- Unlit houses after dark- All windows shut in very hot weather

These are signs telling the burglar that they are unlikely to be disturbed in the course of their work. Naturally, circumstances may arise when such situations may be unavoidable. If we can take measures that tell the burglar that this building is too difficult or too risky a target, they will hopefully move on.

Are you leaving a theif the key to your house?

- Never leave a spare key concealed anywhere near the front door - burglars know all the hiding places- Prevent letterbox burlaries by storing keys away from the front door- Do not label your housekeys in case you lose them and they fail into the wrong hands